Madison Wind Farm

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The Madison Wind Farm was a power generation plant located in the town of Madison, New York. Constructed in 1999-2000, it was the first wind farm completed in New York state and the first merchant wind farm in the country. The power plant consisted of seven Vestas V66-1.65 MW wind turbines, [1] generating enough energy to power up to 10,000 homes. The Vestas V66-1.65 MW wind turbines had a hub height of 67m and a 66m rotor diameter totally 100m to the top of the rotor [1]

Contents

A turbine of the farm, photo taken in 2006 Madisonwm.JPG
A turbine of the farm, photo taken in 2006

History

The Madison Wind Farm was developed and funded by the unregulated arm of PG&E, by project manager Laura Walker; construction began in 1999. [2] [3] It was the first wind farm in New York State and the first merchant wind farm in the United States. [4] The facility is located on private dairy farm land in the town and county of Madison, in upstate New York. The New York State alternative energy program supported its development. [5]

These turbines could produce enough energy for up to 10,000 homes. The power produced by these turbines was routed to New Jersey. The wind farm was owned by Horizon Wind Energy.

Two other wind farms: Fenner Wind Farm and Munnsville, have since been completed and are operating in Madison County.

Numbers

The Farm occupied more than 120 acres (49 ha) and the total wattage was eleven megawatts (MW). [6]

Wind farm from Route 20 Madisonfrom20.JPG
Wind farm from Route 20

The wind turbines had become a kind of tourist destination; people stopped from U.S. Route 20 to see the facility.

This wind farm was the first of three wind farms in the county, the second being the Fenner Wind Farm nearby, and the third the Munnsville facility.

Today

All seven turbines were blown up on September 17 2025 because of the lack of spare parts.madison wind farm plans to implode their wind turbines WSYR ref 1

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Madison-County-Wind-Power-Project" (PDF). nyserda.ny.gov. 2003. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  2. "Windmills are a tourist attraction". 20 August 2001.
  3. U.S. Generating Company. "USGen Announces Development of Wind Generation Project." PG&E Corporation Press Release, 27 May 1999.
  4. U.S. Generating Company. "USGen Announces Development of Wind Generation Project." PG&E Corporation Press Release, 27 May 1999.
  5. "CEFN Case Study #1: Madison Windpower Project" (PDF). Clean Energy Funds Network. 22 January 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2007.
  6. "Welcome to Horizon Wind Energy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-09.

43°47′05″N75°34′28″W / 43.784591°N 75.574557°W / 43.784591; -75.574557